Credit
Credit and mortgages
How credit shows up in a mortgage file, without a fake minimum score on this page.
Credit and mortgages
Credit
Income, debts, assets, and the property still have to fit. Credit can price a loan, qualify a program, or slow a file. It rarely is the only thing in the room.
If your history is messy, say so early. A loan officer would rather adjust the conversation now than decline the file later.
01
Credit is one part of underwriting, not the whole story.
02
This site will not publish “the” score. Overlays differ by program and change.
03
Pay on time. Do not open new accounts for furniture until after closing.
04
Collections, lates, and thin files belong in the first conversation, not as a surprise in underwriting.
Before you apply
Pay on time
Recent lates are loud. If one is coming, talk before it posts.
Leave old cards alone until you ask
Closing accounts to “clean up” utilization can backfire. Ask first.
Tell the truth about collections and charge-offs
They are not always fatal. They are always worse as a surprise.
While the file is open
Do not finance the sofa
New credit changes ratios and can change pricing. After closing is for furniture.
Do not cosign someone else’s car
That debt can land on your file even if you never drive it.
Keep paying the obligations you already have
A missed payment mid-process is a preventable problem.
Why we will not publish “the” score
Overlays differ by program and change. FHA, conventional, VA, and USDA treat credit differently. A number on a billboard is marketing, not your file.
Your officer can talk about how credit shows up for the programs that may actually fit, after they have seen the report, not before.
From this guide
Common questions
There is no single score published on this site because overlays differ by program and change. The useful step is a conversation with a loan officer, not a number you saw on a banner ad.
Credit
A billboard score is not your file.
Pay on time. Tell the truth. Wait on the furniture.
Ready when you are
The house is the point.
Whether you’re buying your first home, moving into your next one, refinancing, or exploring your options, we’re here to help you figure out the next step.